


I'm a Monster, So What?

by Lewis33



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Monster Cloud Strife, Wolf Cloud Strife, completely self-indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:46:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21787729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lewis33/pseuds/Lewis33
Summary: Cloud adopts four boys that honestly have no idea what they're doing and need all the help they can get. Even if it's from a giant, millennia old wolf that glows and talks like a hick.
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum & Cloud Strife
Comments: 7
Kudos: 233





	I'm a Monster, So What?

**Author's Note:**

> yall where are all my ffxv/ffvii crossovers im DYING

When Noctis turns 9, he gets himself lost in the wilderness. It was meant to be a relaxing fishing trip spent alone with his father– one of the few they get to spend together– and now Noctis had messed it up by getting lost. He sucks.

He voiced the thought aloud, “I suck,” and kicked a rock into a bush. As if summoned by plot convenience, a potentially relevant character decides to make its appearance just then.

Something in the bush grunts.

Noctis, deciding that grunting bushes is more important than moping, creeps towards the bush armed with a stick he’d found earlier. He pokes at the bush with it. “H-hello? Who said that?”

The Something grumbles back, “I didn’t say anything.”

“Th-th-that time you did! Who are you? Come out!” Noctis makes sure to wave the stick for emphasis because last week Gladio told him he looked as intimidating as a mouse. Stupid Gladio. What did he know? Noctis makes sure to straighten his back and give the bush as disapproving a glare as his father does when he won’t eat his soup. He can be scary! 

In response, a giant wolf suddenly emerges from the darkness beyond the bush he’d been waving his stick at. Uh oh. Noctis felt the stick slip from his grasp. He felt a lot like a mouse now. A mouse of a prince that was lost and very small and alone in the face of this creature.

Dad was going to ground him for a  _ month. _

**\---**

Cloud had thought he’d gotten used to his strange, new life on this younger, stranger Planet. It was called Eos now. Luckily, the Planet remembered him and helped guide him in its own distinctly vague way. Apparently part of this guidance always involved important, often troublesome people finding him and ruining his peace. In this case, a  _ ‘Chosen King’  _ if the whispers of the Planet were to be believed. Nevermind the whispers, the little princeling was currently staring up at him with visible terror, his stick sword forgotten in the face of Cloud’s appearance. Oh right, he was a monster now. He sighed and lowered his head so that he was staring into the princeling’s eyes. 

“I won’t hurt you, kid.” His voice came out in the low rumble he’d grown used to over the years alone. None of the other monsters could speak, so he’d filled the silence on his own when he started missing his friends. Mostly by humming the little tunes Yuffie came up with or the lullabies Aerith sang to the flowers when it was just her and Cloud in the church. Funny how he’d become so used to having them around. . . . Cloud felt a hand rest on his snout, then quickly retract when his vision came back into focus. 

“Are. . . . you alright? Mister Monster, sir–uhh no Sir Monster? What should I call you?” At Cloud’s curious stare, the boy grew flustered and waved his hands around a bit, “I’ve never met a monster before, so I don’t know. . . . actually I’ve met daemons, but I don’t know if those count you don’t look like one. Actually maybe I should introduce myself first? That’s polite, right? Ignis always tells me I should do that first.” At this, the boy cleared his throat and held out a hand. “I’m Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum! It’s-it’s a pleasure,” the boy ended with a degree of uncertainty. Cloud noticed how his hand shook. 

Gently, Cloud bumped his nose into the boy’s hand, closing his eyes to the touch. After a moment, the boy’s tremors lessened and Cloud could feel the palpable wonder of the boy in front of him. The reaction wasn’t surprising. Cloud would have never expected a monster to act like this back when he’d been human. But he certainly wouldn’t have expected one to speak either. This boy– Noct– was taking it surprisingly well.

Cloud pulled back and looked at Noct in the eyes again. There was still fear there but also the excitement of a child that had discovered something fantastical and new all on his own. It brought images of Denzel to his mind which he quickly brushed away. This was no time to get sentimental again. 

Finally he answered the boy’s question, “Name’s Cloud. Are you lost, Noctis?”

“Oh!” the boy exclaimed, seemingly remembering what he’d been so sullen about not even ten minutes prior, “I am! Would you happen to know the way out of this forest, Cloud? I. . . . came out here with my dad to fish and he’s probably really worried right now.” Noctis kicked at the ground, the pout on his lips making him look even younger than he was. Cloud was always weak to looks like that, especially on children.

“Yeah, I know the way. I can help you find him if you want?”

Noctis beamed at him for this, “Thank you, Cloud! Also, you can call me Noct!”

Cloud answered with a wolfish smile and without further ado, grabbed Noct by the scruff of his puffy vest and bounded away through the brush in a single long stretch of his legs. The answering screams did nothing to slow his sprint through the trees.

_ “CLOUD?! CLOUD, STOP!! CLOUD, YOU’RE RIPPING MY JACKET, YOU JERK!!!” _

Cloud was so glad he’d offered to help. He hadn’t had this much fun in years.

**\---**

Regis usually wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He’d learned to be thankful for the little things as well as the big ones over the years, especially concerning his son. When his son had finally recovered enough from the daemon attack to walk on his own, he’d wept. When his son finally started eating soup on his own, well, he cried about the same amount. No one said being a parent would be easy, so it was the little things that kept Regis going as a father and ruler of a kingdom. 

All of that did nothing to prepare him to witness his son appear on the beach they’d camped at hanging in the jaws of a huge, glowing wolf.

The wolf came to an abrupt halt at the sight of him, then gently– _gently_ set his son down on the sand. His son stayed bent over with his hands on his knees, panting like he’d been the one running. Slowly, Noctis let out a final puff of air and straightened up. Unsteadily, he waved at Regis. 

“Hey dad, I’m back,” then he gestured to the giant beast behind him, “Can we keep him?”

Yeah. . . . definitely wasn’t in any parenting book  _ he’d  _ read.


End file.
